The three major teacher Unions, the Ghana National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers-Ghana (CCT-GH) are being tasked to terminate laptop contract with KA Technologies Ghana Limited.

The Union leaders are also being told to refund all illegal monies deducted from teachers’ salaries for the Teachers Mate 1 (TM 1) Laptop deal.

This was contained in a press conference organized by the Akpini Local Chairman of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Mr Adanuty John Paul on December 2, 2021, in the Volta Region.

Read Press Statement Below;

PRESS RELEASE BY MR ADANUTY JOHN PAUL, AKPINI LOCAL GNAT CHAIRMAN ON THE ONE TEACHER ONE LAPTOP INITIATIVE IN THE GHANA EDUCATION SERVICE ON THE 2ND OF DECEMBER, 2021

Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the media.

It has become very necessary for us as teachers to rise and defend ourselves from being exploited by our own colleagues and leaders in the Ghana Education Service. These are some reasons why we join trade unions at our various workplaces

1. Better wages and benefits. It’s proven that workers who are trade union members earn more than non-unionized workers.

Personal protection. Unions have got your back.

Equality. Trade unions champion equal rights and equal pay.

Health and safety. Unionized workplaces are safer

Solidarity.

It is very clear that teachers in Ghana don’t get enough of the above-mentioned benefits from their leaders in NAGRAT, GNAT and or CCT Ghana but are rather being cheated and exploited.

K.A Technology Ghana Limited

On the 13th Day of November 2020, there was a memorandum of understanding signed between Ghana Education Service, Teacher Unions(signed by Mr Thomas T Musah and Mr Eric Angel Cabonu) and K.A Technology Ghana Limited to procure and supply 280,000 customized laptops and also provide technical training for teachers in the various ICT and virtual devices to be supplied pursuant to the MOU for all members of the teacher unions at a unit cost of 1550.00 including all applicable taxes and charges.

If we strike 30% of 1550.00 we will get 465.00 but not 509.55 which was forcefully deducted by the controller and Accountant General Department so where is our balance as well?

It will interest all teachers to know that, a response letter dated 20th September 2021 signed by Mr Jone N. Ansah the Assistant Chief Company Inspector at the Registrar General Department to (ATAG )All Teachers Alliance Ghana paragraph 2 says ” we wish to state that after conducting a search on KA Technology Ghana Limited at our company registry, such a name was not found in our records”.

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So our union leaders should be explaining to teachers where the company is before they signed the MOU with them.

GES OCCUPATIONAL PENSION SCHEME (GESOPS)

On 26th October 2021, the Director-General of GES wrote a letter authorizing the chairman of the Board of Trustees of GES Occupational Pension Scheme and the controller and Accountant General Department to Deduct an amount of Five Hundred and Nine cedis (509.00) but 509.55 was rather deducted from each teacher’s Continuous Professional Development Allowance which was yet to be paid into

Account name: GESOPS- Board of Trustees

Bank name: Cal Bank Ltd

Bank Branch: Head office

Account Number: 1400005562696

In this same letter, it was said that the entity was providing only 280,000 pieces of laptop which are woefully inadequate for all the numerous teachers in Ghana where the money will be deducted for all.

In paragraph seven of the same letter, the Director-General of GES further directed that the Board should open an interest yielding Escrow account into which the remaining money deducted for which the laptop won’t be supplied yet be deposited into since the number of laptops procured is less than the number of teachers in Ghana.